A: The Customer Service Unit
at (216) 664-3130 can help. Representatives stand
ready to answer questions about service, from billing
to starting or terminating service. If the representative
cannot answer your question, she or he will certainly
know the right unit to call.
Q: When is the Cleveland Division of Water
open?
A:
The Division is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday to assist customers.
Customers can call Monday through
Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. and Saturday 8:00
a.m. Emergency teams are on call 24 hours a day, seven
days a week by calling (216) 664-3060.
Q: How can I recognize a Division of Water
employee who comes to my home?
A: Any Division of Water employee who visits
your home will carry a photo identification card
that they will show you at your request. For your
safety, always ask to see this identification card
before allowing the person into your home. Should
someone posing as an employee refuse to show the
identification card, please call (216) 664-2444
ext.5333 immediately to report the impostor.
Q: I'm
writing a term paper on Cleveland's water system.
Where can I get detailed information?
A: Contact the Public Relations Unit at (216)
664-2444, ext. 5676. The unit publishes a wealth
of information about the water system for interested
consumers. The unit can also provide information
about touring facilities. Moreover, the unit sponsors
a Speakers Bureau that sends people to discuss the
system with students, church groups, and other interested
parties.
Q: What should I do about my water service
and bill if I sell my property or purchase new property?
A: The Customer Service Unit at (216) 664-3130
will assist you. 'The unit will need your title
transfer date, and the new owner's name.
Q: If I move to a new property, am I responsible
for the previous owner's balance?
A: No. The new owner's responsibility begins
the day the title is transferred.
Q: I rent, but I want to pay my own water
bill. What should I do?
A: Come to our main office at 1201 Lakeside
Avenue and pay a deposit. You will need a copy of
your lease agreement and identification with a picture
on it. Your water and sewer bill will carry the
property owner's name, but will come to your address.
Q: What department should I call if a
water main breaks?
A: Call the Harvard Service Yard at (216)
664-3060. This section handles emergencies such
as broken mains, as well as situations such as depressions
where water main work has been performed, missing
manhole covers and poor water pressure.
Q: Who should I call if my sewer backs
up into my basement?
A: Cleveland residents should call the Division
of Water Pollution Control at (216) 664-2518. Residents
of surrounding areas should contact the municipality
in which they live.
Q: If I need to make repairs, whom should
I call to have my water turned off or on?
A:
Call the Customer Service Unit at (216) 664-3130 between
the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 5:30
p.m. After 5:00 p.m., call the Water Service Yard
at (216) 664-3060.
Q: How can I schedule an inspection to
make sure my plumbing repairs are up to code?
A: The Permit Sales Unit at (216) 664-2444,
ext. 5203 sends inspectors to check plumbing after
repairs have been carried out to verify that work
has been done to code.
Q: Last winter my water pipes froze and
burst. How can I keep that from happening?
A: If you live in a home with an unheated
basement, or in a slab home with a crawl space
underneath, extremely cold weather may cause your
water lines to freeze or your internal plumbing
lines to burst.
You
can take several steps to minimize the risk of
experiencing this problem:
Keep
areas with exposed pipes warm.
Wrap
water pipes in unheated areas with pipe insulation
or blankets.
Open
a tap and let the water run in a continuous
stream about the thickness of a pencil.
The amount of money you spend taking this precaution
will be small, certainly much less than the cost
of repairing damaged lines.
Q:My water looks cloudy. Who should
I call for help?
A: During regular business hours (7:30 am-5:30 pm)
call our Hydraulics Service Office at (216) 664-3160.
After hours, please call the Harvard Station service
line at (216) 664-3060. These locations handle questions
and complaints regarding the odor, taste and color
of water. Most of the time, the problem lies not
in the quality of the water, but in a plumbing problem.
For instance, cloudy water is almost always the
result of air bubbles in water, and our Hydraulics
Service group can instruct you how to eliminate
the problem.
Q: What should I do if I get Red Water?
A: If you experience red water, your first
step should be to contact the Division of Water
(See Above). Provide the operator as much information
as possible, including time and date the problem
stated, location, and your best description of the
problem. For a more detailed explanation of Red
Water, please click here.
Q: What if I think I have a serious water
quality problem?
A: The Division's Central Compliance Laboratory
is the place to call at (216) 664-3323; after office
hours call (216) 664-3060. Experts will ask you
questions regarding the problem and take the steps
required to resolve it, if necessary.
Q: Should I be concerned about chlorine
and fluoride in my water?
A: No, you should be concerned if they are
not in your water. These two chemicals have made
a powerful contribution to public health. Chlorine
kills bacteria, and fluoride contributes to dental
health. The use of chlorine has virtually eliminated
the outbreak of such deadly diseases as typhoid
fever in the U.S., while the use of fluoride has
reduced by half the incidence of dental cavities
among children age 5-17. Virtually every public
and private health agency, including the U.S. Public
Health Service and World Health Organization, endorses
the use of fluoride in water.
Q: Do the zebra mussels in Lake Erie pose
any danger to water quality?
A: No, they don't. These mollusks multiply
very quickly and can block water intake screens,
but pose no threat at all to public health.
Q: Is lead a problem in Cleveland drinking
water?
A: Absolutely not. The water produced by the
Division of Water is well within the very strict
government standards for water purity and absence
of lead. Any problems of lead in drinking water
stem primarily from lead service lines that connect
homes to water mains, and from lead pipes and solder
used in home plumbing systems installed before Congress
banned such use in 1986. The Division of Water routinely
eliminates lead service connections during construction
and maintenance programs. For additional information,
contact the Customer Service Unit at (216) 664-3130.
Q: I read about an organism called Cryptosporidium.
Does this affect Cleveland drinking water?
A: CWD tests Lake Erie water monthly for Cryptosporidium,
a microscopic organism that primarily comes from
human and animal waste and is naturally present
in surface water. When ingested by warm-blooded
animals, Cryptosporidium may cause fever and gastrointestinal
illness. To date, our tests of Lake Erie have revealed
the presence of only a few organisms.
A: Call the Customer Service Unit at (216)
664-3130 to request a duplicate bill.
Q: I received a water bill even though
I was out of town for four months and didn't use
any water. Why?
A: Customers who use no water must still pay
a minimum charge if water service is available to
the property.
Q: Who should I call to correct a misspelled
name or incorrect address on my water bill?
A: The Customer Service Unit at (216) 664-3130
will take care of the problem.
Q: Several water bills have piled up on,
me. What should I do to take care of them?
A: Call the Collection Unit at (216) 664-2700.
A representative will help you structure a plan
to pay your bills in full and avoid any interruption
in service.
Q: Not all the water I use drains away
through the sewers. What about the water I use to
sprinkle my lawn?
A: Check with the Northeast Ohio Regional
Sewer District at 881-6600 if you are receiving
a bill from them, or with the city or municipality
in which you live, to find out if you are eligible
to avoid sewer charges for water that does not go
through the sewer.
Q: Do I have to pay for sewerage if I
fill my swimming pool?
A: Yes, you do, because pool water eventually
drains through the sewers and must be treated before
returning to Lake Erie.
Q: Can I pay my water and sewer bills
with one check?
A: Yes, you can. Send the check to the P.O.
Box listed on the water bill.
Q:I'm a senior citizen, and I want
to know if I am eligible for discounted water service.
A: The Division of Water's Homestead Exemption
program is for senior citizens and permanently disabled
customers with annual income of $25,000 or less.
Contact the Customer Services Unit at (216) 664-3130
for more information
Q: If I am going to move, can I provide
a final meter reading?
A: Yes, you can. If you provide the Customer
Service Unit at (216) 664-3130 with a final reading,
the final bill will be produced the same day and
mailed to your new address the next day.
Q: So how do I read my meter?
A: Read the numbers across from left to right,
just as you would read an odometer on a car.
